The present invention relates to an accessory item for an operating room or surgical table. More particularly, the present invention relates to a bariatric surface configured to be coupled to a patient support surface of an operating room table to provide a support surface having an increased width to support obese patients.
Operating room tables are well known in the health care industry for supporting patients during surgical procedures. In recent years, operating room tables have been made even more useful and convenient for doctors and nurses by adding various features and options, such as powered articulation of head, torso, and leg sections of the operating room table, height adjustment, tilt adjustment, and the like.
Standard operating room tables include a patient support surface which is about 20-22 inches wide. These conventional patient support surfaces accommodate average size patients well. However, an increasing number of patients are obese. These obese patients are often much wider than average size patients which makes it difficult to use standard operating room tables for these obese patients.
Operating room tables typically are capable of supporting a maximum patient weight of about six hundred pounds. The present invention relates to a bariatric surface which is configured to be coupled to the patient support surface of an operating room table when it is necessary to perform a surgical procedure on an obese patient or any patient having a body width larger than the standard width of the patient support surface of the operating room table. The bariatric surface of the present invention provides a mattress surface having a width wider than the width of a standard operating room table to accommodate obese or wide patients. Illustratively, the width of the bariatric surface is about 28-30 inches. The mattress surface may include foam, air pads/bladders, gel pads, temperature controls, or other support structures to reduce interface pressures between the obese patient and the mattress surface.
The bariatric surface of the present invention illustratively includes a plurality of radiolucent panel sections configured to be coupled to articulating sections of the operating room table. For example, in one embodiment, the panel sections of the bariatric surface include a leg section, a seat section, and a back section configured to be coupled to the operating room table over a leg support, a seat support, and a back support, respectively. Illustratively, a mattress is located above the leg, seat, and back sections of the bariatric surface. The mattress is illustratively removable from the support panel sections for cleaning. In another embodiment, the bariatric surface includes an upper back section, a lower back section, and a seat section located over similarly sized frame sections of a patient support.
In one embodiment, the panel sections of the bariatric surface are illustratively coupled together by flexible straps to facilitate storage and to permit movement of the panel sections relative to each other. In another embodiment, the panels are coupled together about fixed pivot axes. Integrated accessories rails are located on both sides of each panel section of the bariatric surface. This permits positioning of accessories necessary for the surgical procedure on the accessory rails of the bariatric surface.
The bariatric surface of the present invention is easily installed and removed from the operating room table depending upon the specific needs of the patient. The bariatric surface is illustratively constructed from a lightweight, high strength material to facilitate such removal and storage. Therefore, the bariatric surface of the present invention permits the conventional operating room table to be converted into an operating room table capable of handling obese patients without the need to purchase a separate specialty operating room table.
In one embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus is configured to be located on a frame of a patient support, the frame having a top surface configured to support a patient, and the top surface having a length dimension and a width dimension. The apparatus includes an overlay positioned over the frame of the patient support. The overlay has an upper surface to support the patient and a lower surface configured to abut the top surface of the patient support. The overlay has a width dimension greater than the width dimension of the top surface. The apparatus also includes a retainer to maintain the overlay in a desired position on the frame.
In the illustrated embodiment, the frame of the patient support includes first and second spaced apart sides which define the width dimension of the top surface and first and second accessory rails are coupled to the first and second sides of the frame, respectively. The retainer includes first and second members configured to engage the first and second accessory rails, respectively, to maintain the overlay in the desired position on the frame. The overlay illustratively includes first and second side edges located over the first and second accessory rails of the patient support. Third and fourth accessory rails are coupled to the first and second side edges of the overlay, respectively.
Also in the illustrated embodiment, the overlay includes a plurality of panels. Each panel having an upper surface to support the patient and a lower surface configured to abut the top surface of the patient support. The plurality of panels are located at spaced apart positions along a longitudinal axis of the frame of the patient support. Each of the plurality of panels is coupled to an adjacent panel.
Also in an illustrated embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus configured to be located on a frame of a patient support, the frame having a top surface configured to support a patient and first and second spaced apart sides which define a width dimension of the top surface. The apparatus includes a mattress positioned over the frame of the patient support. The mattress has an upper surface to support the patient, a lower surface, and first and second spaced apart side portions which define a width dimension of the mattress which is greater than the width dimension of the top surface of the frame. The mattress has a continuous support surface extending along the width dimension of the mattress. The apparatus also includes a support coupled to the patient support to support portions of the lower surface of the mattress adjacent the first and second sides of the mattress which extend beyond the first and second sides of the frame.
In one illustrated embodiment, the mattress is a one piece mattress section. In another illustrated embodiment, the mattress includes a plurality of mattress sections. Each mattress section has a width dimension which is greater than the width dimension of the top surface of the frame, and each mattress section has a continuous support surface extending along the width dimension of the mattress section.
The present invention also provides an apparatus configured to be located on a frame of a patient support, the frame having at least two frame sections pivotably coupled together about at least one pivot axis, each of the frame sections including a top surface configured to support a patient and first and second spaced apart sides which define a width dimension of the top surface. The apparatus includes a width extender including at least two separate sections which are coupled together, the width extender extending across at least one pivot axis of the frame so that the width extender pivots with the at least two frame sections. The width extender cooperates with the frame to provide a support surface for the patient having an overall width dimension which is greater than the width dimension of the top surface. The apparatus also includes a retainer to maintain the width extender in a desired position on the frame.
Additional features of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of illustrated embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the invention as presently perceived.